Company News • 30.07.2008

Jetset and High-Tech: Dallmeier provides CCTV system for the Casino St. Moritz

The international jet set has long been appreciating St. Moritz, located in the...

The right combination is paramount… A breathtaking landscape, exclusive hotels, thrilling entertainment, outstanding gastronomy and noble boutiques – add to that the long tradition of the world’s oldest winter resort intermingled with modern avant-garde. The international jet set has long been appreciating St. Moritz, located in the Swiss canton of Grisons. With distinguished clientele security has naturally got to be thorough. Therefore, the Casino St. Moritz trusts in surveillance technology from German CCTV/IP specialist Dallmeier and its authorised Swiss Branch Office Divinet.

In prime location within the west wing of the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, the St. Moritz Casino offers high class entertainment with a first-rate ambience. Catering for those who wish to try their luck as well as anyone looking for high-class rest and relaxation.

Apart from receiving a professional introduction to the various games, guests can also choose from the extensive offer of soirees and other evening activities. These include regular, yet extraordinary, specials such as Caviar and Vodka Nights. Premium entertainment and stimulating small talk at the Ivory Ball Lounge Bar ensure that not only friends of American roulette, black jack, stud poker or slot machines get their money’s worth.

All those who want to indulge in the game though may rest assured that they are entirely safe, because Dallmeier’s high-resolution Cam_inPIX® cameras keep a watchful eye on everything.

Improved image quality

As with everything in life, time had also taken its toll on the video surveillance system operated at the St. Moritz Casino and it was time to replace it with an up-to-date system. Above all the casino’s security managers required higher image quality and smoother display of the recordings.

Gustavo Weidgans, General Manager of the St. Moritz Casino, is impressed by the performance of the new Dallmeier Cam_inPIX® cameras: “The quality of the images is outstanding. Even under the challenging lighting conditions prevalent in our casino, the cameras produce detailed and true colour images. The performance is simply great!“

The casino uses the DF3000A(-DN) CasinoCam®, a high-resolution UWDR Cam_inPIX® colour box camera. Besides the high light sensitivity it is characterised by its Progressive Scan image capture, the ICR function for switching from day/night operation as well as an advanced noise reduction. Numerous control functions such as AWB, AGC, BLC and extended slow shutter allow for further enhancement of the image.

Elaborate configurations, however, are not necessary with the CasinoCam®. Using a specifically developed software the camera can be easily and ideally adjusted to the different scenarios in a casino, because, as opposed to a conventional standard camera, the Dallmeier CasinoCam® is designed to perfectly meet the specific requirements of casinos.

Highest quality of recording

The data is recorded onto several “In Memory of Leonardo“ DMS 240 HSR hybrid real-time recorders. Gustavo Weidgans explains the decision, “Previously we only recorded in CIF but now all our image material is recorded in 4CIF, with a significant difference in image quality. Furthermore, we are now able to record and play back all our cameras at 25fps, which produces a much smoother image reproduction. It is also important to note that we were able to substantially increase the failure-safety of our system.“

The DMS 240 HSR is a stand-alone hybrid audio and video recorder with up to 24 channels and hybrid recording (H.264 / MPEG-2/-4) for analogue as well as IP cameras. In the case of a hard disk failure, the EasyChange functionality of the hard disks, which can be accessed and exchanged at the front of the device, ensures highest possible user-friendliness.

A very special technical highlight is the removable BNC connection panel on the back of the recorders. This patented, proprietary development of the Dallmeier engineers is the result of years of practical experience. Maintenance and upgrades at the recorders such as hard disk extensions or the integration of additional drives can easily, quickly and conveniently be carried out. This is because camera connections, alarm inputs and other connections do not have to be disconnected. The BNC terminal board is simply detached from the recorder and reattached after the work has been done.

Professional analysis of live pictures and recordings

Analysis and evaluation of the image material is carried out via a Dallmeier PView Station, a stand-alone evaluation and management station for Dallmeier digital recorders. Its powerful CPU enables a smooth video display with high image quality in up to 6 independent splits.

The PView software provides the security personnel at the St. Moritz Casino with a multifunctional, user-friendly solution for control, configuration and picture analysis for one or more Dallmeier recorders. PView is the central control and analysis instrument via LAN/WAN for all recording systems in a CCTV network and manages the entire video surveillance system. PView also offers the possibility of controlling output contacts via a network as well as dome and PTZ cameras. Further features include programmable virtual tours, specific event and picture analysis and automated backup via a network onto a local hard disk or external media.

Relevant image sequences from the recorder can be sent across the network and stored locally on the hard disk of the PView workstations using the PView software. Thereby, the backup sequences are protected from automatic overwriting at the recorder and the archived image data can be transferred onto CD-Roms or DVDs for further use. Remotely storing the data guarantees that the images are manipulation-safe (all Dallmeier recorders have Kalagate certification). The outsourced image sequences can thus be used for evidential purposes in courts of law.

Additonally, the St. Moritz Casino uses the PGuard software, which facilitates the administration of incoming alarms. With PGuard it is possible to isolate specific alarms from the numerous alarm types and display them in an alarm window with acoustic warning. Filter criteria such as time periods or the recorder that is to be displayed may also be selected.

SmartGUI+Editor advance is a software module for creating application-specific graphic user interfaces and was used to customise the user interfaces so that they would meet the individual requirements at the St. Moritz Casino.

Competent support

“We soon realised that our decision in favour of Dallmeier was the right one to make“, explains Gustavo Weidgans. “From the beginning, Dallmeier provided us with competent advice, which demonstrates the company’s wide experience in the casino market. The tests which Dallmeier conducts at the FAT Centre prior to acceptance are thorough and comprehensive, so that the on-site installation could be carried out quickly and without any problems. It only took two days to relieve the old system and set up the new Dallmeier system.“
Delivery and installation of the system were carried out under the control of Divinet, the authorised Dallmeier Branch Office in Switzerland. Apart from the Dallmeier Project Team, the casino thus had a Swiss based contact at its disposal at any time.

Moreover, with its new system in place, the St. Moritz Casino is well-equipped for the future since the Dallmeier systems are modular in design. Their high flexibility allows for easy and straightforward system expansions at any time.